The present invention relates generally to an image capture device, and more particularly to providing and utilizing file attributes in an image capture device.
In general, modern digital cameras for taking pictures of scenes and the like typically include an imaging device which is controlled by a computer running a single threaded process. When an image is captured, the imaging device is exposed to light and generates raw image data representing the image. The raw image data is typically stored in a single image buffer where it is then processed and compressed by the processor. Many types of compression schemes are used to compress the image data, with the joint photographic expert group (JPEG) standard being the most popular. After the processor processes and compresses the raw image data into JPEG image files, the processor stores the JPEG image files into an internal memory or on an external memory card.
Once stored, the manipulation of image files normally requires significant user interaction. For example, if a user wants to delete an image that has been copied from a camera""s storage to an external storage device, the user is required to perform the selection, copying, and deletion of the image file in an individual and manual manner. Thus, a need exists for automatic handling of digital images within a digital camera and between a digital camera and an external computer system to ease image file management.
The present invention addresses such a need.
The present invention provides aspects for providing more automatic image file handling for a digital image capture device. The present invention includes the designation of at least one file format attribute of a plurality of file format attributes for captured digital images in the digital image capture device. Further included is the establishment of one or more rule sets for digital image file handling based on the plurality of file format attributes, and the manipulation of digital image files according to a selected rule set of the one or more rule sets. The automatic file handling extends to a photosystem environment that includes at least one computer system coupled to the digital image capture device that also provides and utilizes file attributes for automatic image file handling.
Through the present invention, provision of file attributes supports efficient handling and management of image files with a digital image capture device. These and other advantages of the aspects of the present invention will be more fully understood in conjunction with the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.